I Know Your Face
by SeptemberWilliams
Summary: When Derek turns up a few years short and he's still in love with Kate the only person he remember is Stiles and he doesn't know why.


"Is that him? Is that Derek?" Malia asked him looking at Stiles. He notices Lydia and Kira doing the same out of the corner of his eye. But he is focused on the young boy in front of him. He's about sixteen. The complexion of his skin, and his eyebrows are a big hint that it is in fact Derek. Stiles also has the faintest memories of this small face streaked with tears being held by a girl. Maybe they're from the Hale fire? But when the boy raises his head it's the eyes that tell him this is Derek. Those round green eyes, perhaps more vulnerable than he's ever seen them but they are without a doubt Derek's.

"Yeah, sort of." He say's trying to reply to Malia's question.

"We've got to put him down. He's really not happy being touched. He only let my help him out of the church because I'm an alpha and he's very weak. He doesn't remember anything before this age." Scott tells him. As if on cue Derek makes a feeble attempt to pull his arm away from Braeden.

"Come on, we'll put him in the Jeep." Derek jerks his head up to look at their small pack warily. Scott tugs on his arm but he jerks away.

"No!" He sounds so childish and scared that Stiles can feel his heart twist in sympathy.

"Derek please." Scott pleads. "I helped you, remember? We want to help you." Derek looks at him with wide eyes, like a cornered animal.

"Aww now what fun would it be if I let you take him." They all swivel around at the new voice. Kate is standing on the top of the rocks to their right with an obnoxiously sixed gun in her hands and smirk on her face.

"Kate?" That's Derek. He sounds hopeful. Relieved even. Shit he must still knows Kate as the woman he fell in love with.

"Hi honey. I've missed you. Come on we should go." She holds out her hand in a 'heel boy' kind of way that makes Stiles sick. Derek pulls free of Scott and moves toward he tentatively.

"Derek don't listen to her please. She is a bad woman." Scott tries to reason as Derek moves toward Kate. Braeden no longer has a hold on him, preferring to fix her gun on Kate. They all want to stop him but either he or Kate or both might attack. None of them are willing to take that risk. Well actually…

"Malia no!" Stiles catches her arm and drags her back behind him to the best of his ability. She settles down because even though she doesn't understand what, she knows she had been about to do something wrong. Scott and Kate are still battling for Derek with their words.

"Derek please she killed your family!" Scott yells. Derek falters

"He's lying!"

"H-he's not lying." Derek says softly, he looks confused.

"Would I ever willingly hurt you my love?" She asks sweetly.

"Why don't you shut the fuck up Kate? After everything, you don't get to talk to him like that!" Stiles surges forward with something fiercely protective roaring in his chest. He's standing a few feet away from Derek the rest of the pack a little ways behind them. He appeals to Derek.

"Hey buddy I need you to look at me." Derek does.

"We are your friends I promise." He puts as much sincerity in his voice as he can. "You are part of our pack. I know things are really fucked up right now but you need to trust me when I say that Kate is bad news. She killed your family, I'm so sorry but she did."

"I can still feel them." Derek says as he shivers.

"Cora and Peter are still alive and well."

"Just them?" Stiles nods somberly. The expression on Derek's face says he doesn't believe him.

"I don't believe you!" Derek yells to prove Stiles' thoughts correct. "I know Kate she loves me. I don't know who you are." His voice wavers as if he knows this isn't the whole truth. Derek takes a step back and Stiles takes two forward. He grabs Derek's wrist and Derek reacts grabbing on to Stiles' forearm and letting a shudder go through his body as he stares at Stiles wide-eyed. His breathing becomes erratic everyone is staring at them, Kate included. Derek looks like he is in pain. His brows are drawn together, and he looks pained and confused. He looks Stiles in the eyes. There is a lot of starring that happens in the next sixty seconds.

"St–Stiles?" Stiles' face spilt into a wide grin.

"That's right we're friends. Trust me." He put his hand over where Derek's is clutching his forearm. Derek takes a step toward Stiles. Kate opens fire. Stiles hangs on to Derek as they run back to the jeep. Malia and Kira are covering them while Scott and Braeden return Kate's fire. Stiles opens the door on the drivers side and pushes Derek in before getting in himself. Kira and Malia get in the back and Lydia gets in on the passenger side. Derek is consequentially squished to Stiles' side and maybe that's okay because he has a hold of Stiles and he is not going to let go in the foreseeable future. Kate has run out of bullets and she's running down to meet Scott and Braeden. Stiles Circles the jeep around to get between Kate and his friends as they get back on Braedon's motorcycle. As soon as they're on their way he floors it. Kate doesn't follow them. He's breathing deeply.

"Is everyone okay?" There's a course of yes's from all the girls. He looks down at Derek.

"You okay buddy?" He asks. He wants to run a hand through Derek's hair but one is occupied with driving and the other is trapped in the young werewolf's grip. He looks down and sees Derek nod. They pull over a while down the road to collect Scott. They have Derek now; they can finally go home. Everyone piles out of the jeep for a moment to calm the frayed nerves. Stiles manages to coax Derek into drinking some water. He still doesn't like anyone else touching him and much to Malia's displeasure he is not letting Stiles out of sight–out of reach really. There are slight bruises on Stiles' arm where Derek had clung to him in their flight. Derek is shaking like he'd about to throw up and that worries Stiles but soon Scott is saying they need to get back in the jeep to go home. Scott sits up front and Stiles is driving so Derek gets stuck in the back seat trying futilely not to touch Lydia beside him by pressing himself against the door. They are fifteen minutes out when Derek screams at them to stop the car. Stiles does and Derek clambers out with Stiles, Scott, and Malia on his tail.

"Derek it's okay you need to calm down." Scott tells him.

"I can't remember." Derek is on the ground sitting of top of his legs and clutching at his hair. Stiles' sympathizes; he knows what it's like to try to grasp at your mind when it's being taken away. Scott looks at Stiles for help.

"Derek we need to go home."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Stiles."

"I know that, and I don't know why." Stiles moves around to sit in front of Derek.

"It's okay, we have a friend back home who can sort you out okay?" Derek reaches out a hand to cover Stiles' own. At Stiles' surprised expression he pulls back and turns slightly pink. Stiles just blinks at him, suddenly less sure that the boy in front of him is Derek.

"Who are you?" Derek asks again. Stiles looks up at Scot and Malia and waves at them to get them to walk back toward the jeep. Stiles stands too.

"I'll tell you everything I can on the way home okay?"

"Can I sit in front with you?"

"Sure." They get back in the jeep. Derek is in front and Scott has relocated to be next to Kira. He doesn't look too upset. Derek is muttering to himself but Stiles' human ears don't know what he's saying.

"It's your scent." Malia says behind him making him jump.

"What?"

"He's saying the things you smell like. Roses, peanut butter, curly fries, and the like." Stiles make a face.

"That's what I smell like? Roses and curly fries? I must smell awful." He whines.

"You don't." All the werewolves chorus back at him completely serious.

"I have always wondered where the smell of roses comes from though." Scott adds turning a little pink.

"My mom had six bushes of them planted in our backyard." Stiles says uncomfortably, his grip on the steering wheel tightening. "I've managed to kill half of them but I work really hard to keep the last few alive. That and I go back there when I need to think."

"Your mom is–" Derek starts and then breaks off thinking of how to say it. "She's with my family?" He says finally. Stiles looks at him and he wished he hadn't. He's not used to being able to read Derek simply by looking at his face.

"Yeah, yeah she is."

There's silence there for a while, and then the lovely Lydia comes to save the day.

"I have to be the one to say it: Derek you are adorable." There's collective giggling and Derek scowls but he's not yet a master and it makes them all laugh more.

"I'm Lydia by the way, since you don't remember. I'm a Banshee."

"Malia." She waves at him but doesn't smile.

"You smell familiar. It's faint but there's something."

"Derek you've never met Malia before." Stiles tells him. Stiles also notices that Lydia is looking guilty. They all let it pass but Stiles is going to have to ask her about that later.

"Scott." He holds out a hand that Derek warily shakes.

"You're the alpha." Was Derek's reply and Scott only nods.

"I'm Kira." She says enthusiastically from the very back. She waves hitting her hand on the roof of the jeep. "I'm a Kitsune."

"Kitsune?" Derek asks with wide eyes.

"She's friendly I promise." Stiles reassures him. Derek spends a lot of time after that sulking. He wants to ask questions but he still doesn't trust them. Eventually he doses off.

"Why do you think he remembers me?" Stiles asks.

"Maybe because you touched him?" Kira offers.

"I dragged him out of the church and he still doesn't know me." Scott sounds a little hurt. "We'll have to see what Deaton says when we get back.

Back in beacon hills Derek can see the difference in the town. He trusts Stiles is telling the truth.

"Can I see the house?" They don't think it's a good idea. "Please? I just need to see it with my own eyes." They take him and he breaks down. Stiles kneels next to him and puts an arm around his shoulders. His arms are suddenly filled with a sobbing teenage Derek. When he finally pulls himself together they call Peter and tell him to meet them at the loft.

"Where am I going to stay?" Derek asks.

"At your loft."

"Are you leaving me?"

"No."

Scott calls Deaton and tells him about their situation. The vet agrees to meet them at the loft first thing in the morning. They get to the loft and Peter is waiting for them.

"Uncle Peter?" Derek exclaims. He inches closer until he can properly smell Peter and then throws his arms around him when he can confirm that it's really him.

"I miss this version of you nephew." Peter says fondly. Their group gapes at him for a while because what even were their lives anymore? Nice Peter, Young Derek, what the hell is next.

"You're old." Derek says to Peter.

"Hey now!"

"You're alive." Derek says with more tenderness and Peter strokes his hair. He surprisingly doesn't turn the comment into a jab about how Derek killed him. That's the first time that's ever happened. He probably just doesn't want to admit he killed Laura.

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen." Peter is trying to remember who Derek was at that age.

"After Paige before Kate." Stiles supplies. Derek looks at him shocked.

"How do you know about Paige?" His eyes turn blue as if brought out by the memory.

"I told him." Peter says. The others have never heard of Paige and they are very confused.

"He told me too once." Stiles mutters. "Your taste in women is truly questionable bro."

"I always liked his boyfriends better." Peter agrees. _What?_ Stiles looks at Derek in shock.

"I only had one." He says elbowing Peter in the ribs.

"You've had five dear nephew. You've dated that boy by now yes? What was his name, Damian? Skinny little thing." Peter chuckles. Derek growls.

"Can I trust them?" Derek asks in exasperation motioning to the group at large. Peter smiles wickedly and for a minute they think for moment that he might say no. In the end he just nods. Derek turns back to the group and gestures to the living room where there's enough space for them all to sit on the floor. Kira, Malia and Lydia get up in search of food.

"So who are you all to me?"

"Friends." Scott says.

"I'm not pack?" Derek brings his brows together.

"You haven't–"

"You only accepted Scott as your alpha a few weeks before you went missing." Stiles says over him.

"I- What?" Scott asks looking at his best friend. "How do you know?"

"We talk." Stiles says with a shrug.

"Why didn't I accept him before?"

"Scott is a true alpha, his status is fairly new. But really you had just been an alpha before him and when you lost it by saving your sister the two of you weren't on great terms."

"Cora, where is she?"

"Only you knew." Derek growls again.

"But I need her."

"We're here for you." Scott says trying to be comforting.

"You can't help me!" Derek bursts out. "You can't tell me who I am! Does anyone even know? I don't! I don't know what my favorite color is or who the last person I loved is, I don't know my favorite movie or my favorite song or what I like or don't like to eat. This is really my house? I hate it, it's looks so lonely and I can't have changed that much." He's ranting and the other's let him. He paces as he talk and it gets him even more worked up. He has tears in his eyes and Stiles wishes he knew how to make this better. Peter and Scott try to comfort him and Derek's having none of it.

"Your favorite color is green." Stiles says surreally calm. They all turn to look at him. "You said it reminds you of the woods when you run as a wolf and it's the same color as Laura's eyes. Green is your favorite color."

"Green." Derek says swallowing with a small nod.

"The last person you loved will have been a druid named Julia and that went over only slightly better than things with Kate did. That is unless he's seen anyone since the Darrach fiasco." Stiles looks at Peter who shakes his head.

"Your favorite movie is fight club but I got you hooked on the Marvel movies no matter how much you'll try to deny it you love those quite a bit. You like Dead Man's Bones _Lose Your Soul_. You will always hate this loft. I think you leave it empty to punish yourself. You enjoy Strawberry banana smoothies and you hate raw blueberries and yogurt. You get glazed donuts every Sunday and I tease you because as far as donuts go it is the most boring thing you could ever possibly get." Derek has sat down next to Stiles and his breathing returns to normal.

"Take a break and come get something to eat." Lydia says sternly poking her head out of the kitchen. They all get up where they find a whole lot of sandwiches and chips. Derek picks things up randomly on autopilot. He sits down and takes a bite of his sandwich only to make a face. Stiles laughs softly. It's marmalade and Derek hates Marmalade. Stiles swaps Derek's sandwich for his own Peanut butter and Nutella. He takes the Dr. Pepper by Derek and replaces it with Pepsi. The others don't quite know what to do about the fact that Stiles knows Derek, really really knows him like no one else in this room does. Derek says a soft thank you and sits down again. Stiles is sitting between him and Malia. She keeps shooting Derek glares and Stiles wishes she would stop. He eats the Marmalade sandwich without complaint even though it's missing a bite.

"It's getting late. I've got to get home." Kira informs them as she stands. Scott walks her out and when he comes back Derek is asking more questions and Lydia is not so sneakily putting The Notebook in the DVD player. Peter is being actually helpful and brings out blankets and pillows for all of them and the pile around the only couch.

"This is so stupid I only have one couch?" Derek grumbles Sitting on the floor next to Stiles.

"I hope you remember this when you turn back." He chuckles in response.

Scott falls asleep in the first few minutes. He's sprawled out on the couch next to Lydia who is watching and quoting the movie with rapture.

"This is a horrible movie." Derek declares after a while though Stiles suspects it's because it's making him cry something awful.

"Don't be a sour wolf." Lydia says giving Stiles a look that implies the name means something. Maybe it does.

"Sourwolf." Derek says contemplatively. "You call me that." He says casting his gaze toward Stiles.

"Only when it suits you. Young Derek is much easier to like though. Not sour at all." Lydia shushes them half watching them half watching the movie. Malia gets up to leave angrily and Peter goes after her. He asks Lydia if she think's they'll be okay and she smiles knowingly and nods. When the movie is over he puts in Captain America. Lydia leaves and then it's only Stiles and Derek left awake. They gather up all the abandoned pillows to make themselves comfortable and Stiles is almost asleep when he hears Derek speak.

"Stiles?"

"Mmm?"

"Why do I remember you?" Stiles huffs a laugh.

"That's something only you could tell me."

"I remember you. I remember telling you things about me. Thank you for that. I couldn't be me without you." Stiles thinks his sleepy mind is making up words so he lets his eyes slide closed. He feels something warm against his side before he drops into sleep.

Stiles wakes up to breath tickling his throat. When he opens his eyes he sees Scott pacing as he talks on the phone. The breath tickles his neck again drawing his eyes downward. Derek has his head on Stiles' shoulder and his arms around his waist. Weeeeiirrdd. Stiles' own treacherous arms are wrapped around him as well. Their legs are tangled together. Stiles represses his natural urge to flail. He must not succeed completely because he catches Scotts eye. Scott hangs up the phone and walks over to smirk at Stiles.

"Looks like you got a bit attached."

"Shut up. Where's Malia?" He asks swiveling his head.

"She and Peter never came back last night." Stiles scrunches up his nose.

"Don't worry though. She didn't see you snuggled up with your new boyfriend."

"Shut up Scott."

"I know I ship it." Says Peter strolling in. Stiles glares at him.

"Scott can you help me out here."

They carefully detangle Derek and Stiles until Scott can lay Derek on the couch. Derek protests softly.

"Take off your sweatshirt." Stiles nearly fall over because he didn't notice Malia come in. He looks at her with wide eyes and an open mouth. "He wants your scent, give him your sweatshirt." She's really calm but Stiles is suspicious as he does what she tells him. Derek is satisfied with the sweatshirt and continues to sleep.

"Can we talk?" Malia asks and Scott and Peter practically run away to the kitchen.

"Yeah." Stiles says unnecessarily.

"Peter is my father." Stiles flails a lot. At least she was straight forward.

"What, are you being serious?" Even as he asks the comment Derek made, about Malia smelling familiar, clicks and he knows she's telling the truth.

"Yes. For the longest time you were the only person I really connected with and it made me feel good but, now there's Peter and things are going to be different for me. I don't think I can handle a boyfriend right now, or that I even want one. I just wanted to let you know that where we stand before everyone else finds out and before Derek get's turned back to normal." She smirks at him and Stiles knows she saw him curled up with Derek. He blushes brightly and pulls her into a tight hug.

"Thank you."

"We can still be friends right?" She asks him warily

"Of course! Gosh what would you do with out me?" She shoves him playfully for that but playful to a were-coyote is pretty painful. They join the others in the kitchen. Deaton arrives sometime later. Derek is still asleep and they nominate Stiles to wake him. Figures, Derek is a terrible morning person.

"Derek. Derek! Time to wake up. Plenty of time to sleep when you've got your older body back and you're in your own bed." Derek grumbles and doesn't move. Stiles steals his sweatshirt back and it upsets Derek enough that he wakes up. He rubs his eyes and Stiles thinks it's the cutest thing in the world. Derek smiles at him, fucking smiles at him!

"Who are you and what have you done with my sourwolf." He whispers to Derek fondly. Deaton is in the room now with Scott, Malia, and Peter following.

"Hey Derek."

"Deaton?"

"Is he remembering more?" Scott enquires.

"No he knew me before." Deaton tells him. "Okay Derek lets have a look see." He examines Derek for a while and seems to find nothing of interest. "He doesn't remember _anything?"_

"Nothing except for Stiles." Scott tells him. Deaton looks at Derek

"Derek what your earliest memory of Stiles?"

"What?"

"When you're not sixteen what's the earliest thing you remember about Stiles?"

"Umm." He closes his eyes. "We're in his car. He's sad. He's missing his lacrosse game. I think he's talking to his dad. I'm the reason he's missing the game." Derek says sadly opening his eyes. Derek never told anyone but that was an important day for him. He thought he'd never have anyone care about him again. Stiles had chosen him. That meant the world.

"I remember that." Stiles says. "You had gotten hit with a wolfsbane bullet. You were dying."

"What the clearest memory you have of him?" Deaton asks.

"Um we're in the Sheriffs station. We're looking for someone but he's dangerous. It's a full moon. Someone's first full moon."

"Isaac?"

"He's a werewolf and he's goes to attack Stiles. I'm the alpha and I make him submit so he won't go after Stiles." That was when Derek knew Stiles was significant to him. That was when Stiles truly became his anchor and he let go of the anger from his past.

"Yeah that was Isaac's first turn. Why is that so important?" Stiles asks Deaton. Deaton ignores him and pulls out a bunch of herbs and such from his bag. He mixes them together until he has a weirdly yellow mixture that's boiling of it's own accord. He starts chanting a spell and Stiles watches fascinated as it turns light green.

"Derek I need you to take a deep deep breath for me." He raises the bowl to Derek's face and Derek recoils. Stiles takes his hand.

"Come on it's green. It can't be that bad right?" Derek looks at him before sighing and leaning forward to breath deeply. Deaton finishes his chant and Derek slumps on the couch, not passed out more like he was suddenly exhausted. He seems content enough as he rubs his thumb back and forth across the back of Stiles' hand. Stiles can't hide his hammering heart from these damn werewolves so he pulls away.

"That's it?" He asks Deaton.

"What I did essentially was make a door." Deaton explains. "You need to find the key to unlocking his mind and when the mind returns the spell ensures that the years will follow and restore his body."

"So how do we 'unlock his mind'?"

"You have to find something meaningful that he will return for."

"So only Stiles knows what it is." Scott says.

"Why would you-?"

"You know him better than anyone. You'll figure it out." Everyone leaves them alone. Stiles looks at Derek who has his head cocked to the side and smiles. Derek is sitting cross-legged on the couch and as Stiles sits with one leg tucked under him and the other hanging over the side Derek turns so they're knee-to-knee facing each other. Stiles looks at him a little at a loss.

"Who are you?" Derek asks again. Stiles can tell by his voice how much he wants to remember.

"I already told you that we're friends."

"Just friends?" Derek looks sheepish as he says it.

"Well, yeah." There's a but in there somewhere he just doesn't know where.

"You feel more important than that."

"Derek?"

"Yeah?"

"Why do you remember me?" Derek looks at him, his green eyes wide and searching. Stiles can almost see the moment he gets it.

"I think," he bites his lower lip. "I think you're my anchor." Stiles feels himself jolt in surprise.

"I am?" Derek threads their fingers together and Stiles in in such a state of shock he doesn't pull away or maybe he doesn't notice.

"You are."

"Why?"

Derek is closer than before and Stiles looks down at him and his breath hitches. Derek at any age will have that effect on him. There is something that exists in that small space between their faces. Its like a crackling of electricity and it's a harmony Stiles never wants to forget. Derek's warm breath that hit his neck the night before now dusts lightly against his lips. They are so close. It's Stiles who leans forward. He's sure of it. He's also sure that it is the best kiss he's had in his entire life. The break for air and the kisses they continue to share are sweet if not needy. Stiles has never been a big fan of fairytales (lie) but he' can now say that he has lived his very own fairytale.

When he opens his eyes it the Derek he has come to know and love. His eyes are closed and his lips parted and Stiles smiles because he still looks like the open hearted little boy that had been there just moments ago only with more muscles and a scruff all over his cheeks. Stiles runs his fingers through Derek's dark hair to affirm that he's really there. Derek finally looks at Stiles. The eyes are the same; they are always the same. They are still full of want and Stiles heart gives a hopeful stutter. Derek places his hand on Stiles' chest over his heart as if he can hear it.

"Because I love you Stiles."

Stiles, for once in his life, doesn't have words. All he has is Derek. As he brings their mouths together again, he thinks that having Derek is just enough for him.


End file.
